Mount and controller assembly

• US 6,630,912 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2001
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Media Networks LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Media Networks LLC
• Inventors: Sorensen, Michael, Ehrenberg, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/813,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20030107525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q.110, H01/Q.302, 343/757, 343/761, 343/880, 343/881, 343/882, 343/883, 343/766, 343/763, 343/765, 248/170, 248/179.1
• US Class Current: 343/882
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1207 for fastening a rigid aerial element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1235 Collapsible supports; Means for erecting a rigid antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation

Abstract

A pod mount assembly 20 is configured in a folding quad pod design with four ground-engaging legs 22, 24, 26, 28, and a rotatable central column 30. The ground-engaging legs rotatably connect to the base of the central column 30. The central column 30 contains a telescoping central shaft 32. The central column 30 is rotatable from a horizontal position into a vertical position. The telescopic shaft 32 is extendable upward from a retracted position within the central column 30 into a extended position there above. The pod mount assembly 20 includes a hydraulic pump and cylinder to rotate the central column 30 and extend the telescopic shaft 32. The unique folding and collapsible design of the pod mount assembly 20 creates a small form factor for high mobility and ease of deployment. The pod mount assembly 20 acts as the mounting base for an antenna assembly 10. A controller assembly 40 utilizes a triple tombstone controller configuration for the steering of a dish assembly 100, with each tombstone controller allowing for independent rotation around a respective axis. The controller assembly 40 includes a pod mount attachment 42 for connecting to the telescopic shaft 32 of the pod mount assembly 20, a first tombstone 44, a second tombstone 46, a vertical support 48, an axle bracket 50, a third tombstone 52, and a back frame attachment for connecting to a back frame 60. The controller assembly 40 has the steering capability to control articulation in azimuth, elevation, and polarization.

Claims

1. A folding pod mount assembly for supporting a mountable member, the pod mount assembly having a collapsed state for transportation and a deployed state for operation, the assembly comprising:

a central shaft rotatable between a folded horizontal position and an unfolded vertical position, wherein the central shaft includes a base and an extendable telescopic shaft that is movable between a stored retracted position and an operational extended position; and

a plurality of ground-engaging support legs rotatably attached to the base of the central shaft, the plurality of ground-engaging support legs having a folded position and a deployed position;

wherein the central shaft of the mount assembly is configured to rotatably lift the mountable member from the central shaft'"'"'s folded horizontal position to the central shaft'"'"'s unfolded vertical position, and the telescopic shaft is configured to lift the mountable member from the column'"'"'s stored retracted position to the column'"'"'s operational extended position.

2. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the pod mount assembly is a quad pod mount assembly having four ground-engaging support legs.

3. The mount assembly of claim 2, wherein the four ground-engaging support legs of the mount assembly resemble a tripod configuration when in the deployed state due to two of the support legs being juxapositioned and secured to one another.

4. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the mountable member comprises a controller head having a mount assembly attachment bracket, and the mount assembly further comprises a controller head attachment bracket for selectively securing to the mount assembly attachment bracket of the controller head, wherein the pod mount assembly is configured to lift and support the controller head.

5. The mount assembly of claim 4, wherein the mount assembly attachment bracket of the controller head includes a plurality of rotatable hoop clamps, and the controller head attachment bracket of the mount assembly includes a plurality of substantially horizontally projecting protrusions that extend outward from the mount assembly, and wherein the plurality of rotatable hoop clamps are corresponding shaped to loop over the plurality of substantially horizontally projecting protrusions, thereby selectively securing the controller head to the mount assembly.

6. The mount assembly of claim 5, wherein the pod mount assembly includes wheels that are attached to the central shaft and allow the pod mount assembly to be lifted at one end and rolled on the wheels when the pod mount assembly is in the collapsed state.

7. The mount assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of connection links, wherein each connection link interconnects two ground engaging legs for increasing structural support.

8. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the pod mount assembly is hydraulically powered.

9. The mount assembly of claim 8, further comprising a valve switch that alternates the hydraulic power between rotating the central column, extending the telescopic shaft, and retracting the telescopic shaft.

10. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the pod mount assembly is configured to receive multiple sized antennas.

11. A steering controller assembly for aligning and positioning an antenna dish assembly of an antenna system, the steering controller assembly comprising:

a horizontal tombstone that rotates the controller assembly about a first axis, wherein the horizontal tombstone includes a base mount attachment for selectively securing the controller assembly to an antenna base mount;

a vertical tombstone that rotates the controller assembly about a second axis, wherein the vertical tombstone is secured to the horizontal tombstone; and

a transmission beam tombstone that rotates the controller assembly about a third axis, wherein the transmission beam tombstone is operatively associated with the vertical tombstone through a pivot bracket, and wherein the transmission beam tombstone includes a dish frame attachment for selectively securing the controller assembly to a back frame of an antenna dish in the antenna system.

12. The controller assembly of claim 11, wherein the horizontal tombstone controls the azimuth of the dish assembly, the vertical tombstone controls the elevation of the dish assembly, and the transmission beam tombstone controls the polarization of the dish assembly.

13. The controller assembly of claim 11, wherein the steering controller assembly allows the antenna system to effectively utilize different shaped dishes by controlling the polarization of the dishes with the transmission beam tombstone.

14. The controller assembly of claim 11, wherein the transmission beam tombstone rotates in a plane that is normal to a transmission beam angle of the antenna system.

15. The controller assembly of claim 11, wherein the steering controller assembly includes an internal level meter.

16. The controller assembly of claim 11, further comprising a counterbalance to offset the weight of the dish assembly.

17. The controller assembly of claim 16, wherein the counterbalance acts to reduce the power requirement of the antenna assembly and increase large load manipulation capabilities by offsetting the weight of the dish assembly.

18. The controller assembly of claim 16, further comprising a mount assembly attachment bracket for securing the controller assembly to a mount assembly, wherein the mount assembly attachment bracket includes a plurality of rotatable hoop clamps, and the mount assembly includes a plurality of substantially horizontally projecting protrusions that extend outward from the mount assembly, and wherein the plurality of rotatable hoop clamps are corresponding shaped to loop over the substantially horizontally projecting protrusions, thereby selectively securing the controller assembly to the mount assembly.

19. The controller assembly of claim 11, wherein the steering controller assembly facilitates 360 degree articulation in both azimuth and antenna polarization.

20. The controller assembly of claim 11, wherein the steering controller assembly facilitates greater than 90 degree articulation in elevation.

21. A steering controller and mount assembly configured for rapid deployment, the controller and mount comprising:

a mount assembly having a collapsed state for transportation and a deployed state for operation, the mount assembly comprising;

a central shaft rotatable between a folded horizontal position and an unfolded vertical position, wherein the central shaft includes an extendable telescopic shaft that is movable between a stored retracted position and an operational extended position; and

a plurality of ground-engaging support legs;

a steering controller assembly attachable to the telescopic shaft, the controller assembly including a plurality of steering members operatively attached to one another, wherein each steering member rotates the controller assembly about a separate axis; and

a controller assembly shipping case, including a wheeled base, a removable top and wall section, wherein the shipping case supports the steering controller assembly at a height and orientation that correspondingly mates with the telescopic shaft when the central shaft is in the folded horizontal position, and wherein detachment of the removable top and wall section allows the steering controller assembly to attach to the telescopic shaft while still on the wheeled base of the shipping case;

wherein the central shaft of the mount assembly is configured to rotatably lift the steering controller assembly from the folded horizontal position to the unfolded vertical position, and the telescopic shaft is configured to lift the steering controller assembly from the stored retracted position to the operational extended position.

22. The assembly of claim 21, wherein the mount assembly is hydraulically powered and further comprises a valve switch that alternates the hydraulic power between rotating the central column, extending the telescopic shaft, and retracting the telescopic shaft.

23. The assembly of claim 21, wherein the mount assembly is a multi-leg pod mount assembly having a plurality of ground-engaging support legs that rotatably attach to the central column.

24. The assembly of claim 21, wherein the mount assembly includes wheels attached to the central shaft that allow the mount assembly to be lifted at one end and rolled on the wheels.

25. The assembly of claim 21, wherein the steering controller assembly includes at least three steering members, wherein a first steering member controls the azimuth of an antenna dish, a second steering member controls the elevation of an antenna dish, and a third steering member controls the polarization of an antenna dish.

26. A method of rapidly deploying a steering controller assembly on a base mount assembly having a central shaft rotatable between a folded horizontal position and an unfolded vertical position, wherein the central shaft includes an extendable telescopic shaft that is movable between a stored retracted position and an operational extended position, the method comprising:

supporting a steering controller assembly at a predetermined height and orientation within a shipping case, the shipping case having a wheeled base and a removable top and wall section;

positioning the telescopic shaft of the mount assembly in alignment with the shipping case when the central shaft is in the folded horizontal position;

detaching the removable top and wall section from the wheeled base of the shipping case;

rolling the steering controller assembly on the wheeled base of the shipping case into position adjacent the telescopic shaft when the central shaft is in the folded horizontal position,

attaching the steering controller assembly to the telescopic shaft while still on the wheeled base of the shipping case;

rotatably lifting the steering controller assembly with the mount assembly from the folded horizontal position of the central shaft to the unfolded vertical position of the central shaft; and

raising the steering controller assembly with the mount assembly from the stored retracted position of the telescopic shaft to the operational extended position of the telescopic shaft.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the pod mount assembly is hydraulically powered and further comprises a valve switch that alternates the hydraulic power between rotating the central column, extending the telescopic shaft, and retracting the telescopic shaft.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the mount assembly is a multi-leg pod mount assembly having a plurality of ground-engaging support legs that rotatably attach to the central shaft.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the mount assembly further includes wheels attached to the central shaft that allow the mount assembly to be lifted at one end and rolled on the wheels.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the steering controller assembly further includes at least three steering members, wherein a first steering member controls the azimuth of an antenna dish, a second steering member controls the elevation of an antenna dish, and a third steering member controls the polarization of an antenna dish.